Charlotte messenger. [volume] (Charlotte, Mecklenburg Co., N.C.) 1882-18??, 1887-08-27
Aereat Advertiser.

MAJOR VCOfSc +. WlilEtins, WHO uus
held numerous responsible positions on
New York newspapers, says 10 I1ar-
nalist interviewer:
"Away back in the days when BIZ
chanan was President, while ! was mere
boy setting type, Robert Bonner startled
the town one morning, by filling whole
page in the Herald, Times and Tribune,
with his then novel style of repeating
small advertisements: He used to say
that Fanny Fern wrote for the New
York ledger, over and over again, until
the two lines of caps filled out q column,
another would be devoted to Sylvanus
Cobb, another to Mrs. Southworth, and
so to complete the page. 1t used to be
difficult, | remember, for the compost
tors to find enough Es an. Ms to do the
work We'll, on the morning / speak
of, Mr.. Henry J. Raymond had arranged
for the publication of one of his famous
controversial political letters in the Times,
but on picking up his paper at his break
fast table he discovered that it had been
unavoidably left out, because of Mr..
Bonner's advertisements. Though the
Times needed money in those days, for it
was still in its infancy, Mr.. Raymond
was journalist who knew what he was
about. Mr.. Raymond got as angry as it
was possible with his sunny, amiable
temperament, and wrote an editorial for
the next issue of the Times announcing
that newspapers were primarily published
for the benefit of its readers, who wanted
news and comment. Unless they got
that the circulation was in danger, and
though six columns of advertisements
brought in good deal of money, he did
not propose to see the Times swamped
with such advertisements as Mr.. Bonner
wrote He said that thereafter the pro-
prietor of the Ledger could only have
three columns on any one day, and for
time he didn't
GLOW did Mr.. Bonner like that9"
ooh he was shrewd enough to fill his
three columns with brief letter to Mr..
Raymond, beginning: No, you don't,
Mr.. Raymond and stating that as he
could not have six columns on one day he
would take three on two days in the week. +.
Getting tired of that, Mr.. Bonner con-
tracted with the Herald and Times to fill
an extra sheet of eight pages with his
Fanny Ferns, Sylvanus Cobbs, Edward
Everetts, Mrs. Southworths, ct al. That
was the beginning of the quadruple
sheets.n
''That must have made sensations"
"1ndeed it did. Mr. Bonner was the
boldest advertiser of his day. If / re-
member right, he spent $27, 900 in an
nouncing The Island Princess which
was the first story Mrs. Southworth ever
wrote for the Leclgcr remember that
quadruple sheet very well, for, as have
told you, was setting type at the time,
but took to the pencil and notebook
soon after I got narrow slip of paper
we began composition at eleven A. NJ
that day-on which was written Fanny
Fern writes for the New York Ledger!
This was to repeat to fill an entire page.
Mr.. Gale, our foreman, had laid in an ex-
ira supply of agate quads and Els, and
Ms, and RS, so Mort. Rainey-the fast
est typesetter of his day-and ! secured
sufficient supply Che had Edward
Everett, think, for his take) and at it
we went"
"But did you really set up six columns
of type in one dayp
ave filed two pages, but it was only
line of caps, a line of agate quads,
followed by lead and cross rule, so it
was like setting up two columns of type.
1t was big days work, nevertheless,
and though we only got thirty cents
per thousand ems in those days my bill
came to nearly $1s, for ! managed to
pick up two or three thousand ems OF
nonpareil after my fat, but it was hard
work after handling SO many quads.
"And so you think Sunday advertise
ments an injury in the long run"
eyes, do; when newspaper reader
finds himself compelled to buy half
pound of paper for the sake ofthe reading
matter, he is disgusted. One of these
days our publishers will find it more
profitable to reduce the size of their
papers by charging more for Sunday
advertising. When they do the annual
income will not be injured. On the
rontrary, it will be improved"